Pipe-wrench.



S. A. PLOUGH.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I915.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH .60., WASHINGTON, D c.

FFEQ.

SETH ALBERT PLOUGH, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

PIPE-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Application filed May 20, 1915. Serial No. 29,363.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SETH ALBERT PLOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Traverse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-\Vrenches;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripfeatures rovision bein made whereb a:

serrated jaw to be described may be removed and replaced by an additional jaw, and

whereby the entire wrench may become, if

effected, a ratchet wrench.

With this general object in view, the invention resides in the unique combination and construction of parts hereinafter fully 0 'described'and claimed.

In describing the invention, I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention showing the application thereof to use; Fig. 2 is a rear edge view .of the wrench with the gripping chain thereof in section; Fig.

3 is a perspective view of the removable serrated jaw; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1 but disclosing different positions thereof.

In this drawing which constitutes apart of the application, the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectilinear handle whose front end is preferably though not necessarily decreased in width and rounded as [shown at 2, this end being inserted through a guide yoke 3 whose cross bar 4 is spaced from one edge of the handle 1, while the arms of said yoke project beyond the other edge of the reduced front end 2 of said handle and are pivoted at 5 to a movable and detachable jaw member 6 having serrations or teeth 7 on one edge, while its front end is forked as disclosed at 8, or constructed in any other preferred manner for adjustable engagement with the links of a chain 9 which is secured at a point 10 spaced rearwardly from the pivot 5, to the handle 1, the latter being provided with an ear 11 for the attachment of said chain if desired.

As shown in the drawings, the rounded front end 2 of the handle and the front edge of the ear 11 merge into each other and form an arcuate seat 12 upon which the rounded lower end 13 of the jaw member 6 normally rests, this member being retained in this position by spring means actuating in conjunction with the yoke 3, such means exerting its tension to shift the rounded end 13 of the jaw member 6 into engagement with the seat 12, but allowing this engagement to be discontinued when necessary. The spring means just described is shown in the present application in the form of a coiled spring 1 1- interposed between the cross bar -t of the yoke 3 and the handle 1, a lock ing bolt 15 being passed through said cross bar and through the spring and having its inner end projected by said spring into a socket 16 formed in the handle 1,while the outer end of said bolt is provided with a knob orthe like 17 by which it may be retracted.

It is to be observed that the bolt 15 forms the only connecting means between the yoke 3 and the handle, whereby when said bolt is retracted, the jaw 6 may be removed and replaced by another having either coarser or finer teeth 7 according to the character of the body to be gripped by said teeth.

In addition to the previously described uses of the spring 14:, it allows the portion of the handle 1, immediately in rear of the front end 2 thereof, to recede from the jaw member 6 when the handle is moved to the right in Fig. 1, thus allowing any slack in the chain 9 to be taken up, whereupon the jaw 6, or rather the teeth 7, are brought into forcible contact with the pipe or the like, thus causing the continued movement of the handle in the aforesaid direction to turn the same. For the position of parts upon such operation, see Fig. 4:, from which view it can be likewise observed that the edge of the j aw' 6 adjacent the front end 2 of the handle 1, is provided with a curved seat 18 receiving therein the rounded end 2 when the parts stand as shown in this figure. This seat, engaging the aforesaid end 2, overcomes any tendency on the part of the jaw 6, to shift endwise from the handle, aswell as constituting the bearing on which said end may turn when necessary.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be evident that although the jaw 6 is forced into tight contact with the body being turned, when the handle 1 is moved in one direction, shifting on said handle in the opposite direction, will cause the chain 9 tobe loosened, whereby the jaw 6 may be shifted rearwardly upon such body to again grip the same, this action being similar to that of the numerous types of ratchet wrenches well known to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

L A wrench comprising a flexible gripping member to be passed around a pipe or the like, a handle connected to one end of said member, a movable jaw having a connection with the other end of said member, and yielding means connecting the jaw and the handle, substantiallv as and for the purpose specified.

2. A wrench comprising a flexible gripping member to be looped around a pipe or the like, a handle connected to and projecting forwardly beyond one end of said member, a yoke into which the projecting front end of the handle is inserted, a jaw member carried by the yoke and having a connection with the other end of the flexible gripping member, and spring means in conjunction with ;the yoke retaining the jaw member in contact with the projecting front endof the handle.

3. A wrench comprising a flexible gripping member to be looped around a pipe or the like, a handle connected to and projecting forwardly beyond one end of said mem ber, a yoke into which the projecting front end of the handle is inserted, said yoke having a cross bar spaced from the handle, and the latter having therein, a socket opening toward said bar, a jaw member carried by the yoke and having a connection with the other end of the gripping member, and a bolt slidable'through the aforesaid cross bar and projecting into the socket in the handle.

4. A wrench comprising a flexible gripping member to be looped around a pipe or the like, a handle connected to and projecting forwardly beyond one end of said memher, a yoke into which the projecting front end of the handle is inserted, said yoke having a cross bar spaced from the handle, and the latter having therein a socket opening toward said bar, a jaw member carried by the yoke and having a connection with the other end of the gripping member, and a spring-pressed bolt slidable through the aforesaid cross bar of the yoke and projecting into the socket in the handle.

5. A wrench comprising a flexible gripping member to be looped around a pipe or.

the like, a handle connected to one end of nesses. v H

SETH ALBERT PLOUGH. Witnesses 'ESTELLE WADE,

FRED R. WALKER.

dd ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

